The King sees her as beautiful and is calling her out of her ‘comfort zone’ – calling her higher!!! She has now made a heart change (decision of the heart) and he is calling her mature.
Song 4:1, “Behold, you are fair, my love! Behold, you are fair! You have dove’s eyes behind your veil. Your hair is like a flock of goats, going down from Mount Gilead.”
These is agricultural language, a language she is very familiar with, full of idioms. He uses 8 virtues of Agriculture. (8 means ‘new beginning’) For us today, if your husband told you that ‘you have hair like a flock of goats and teeth like a flock of shorn sheep‘, he may be looking a couch for his bed for a few nights.
- Fair – beautiful. He called her ‘fair’ twice. He is saying over and over again, ‘You are beautiful and I love you’
- Dove’s Eyes – eyes of single-minded devotion and loyalty. Eyes that speak of insight, revelation (Eph 1:18). Veiled with humility, speaks of the secret life, private. Her eyes are not going to go anywhere that would separate her from him.
- Hair like Goats -the speaks of her dedication to God.
- Hair of a Nazarite was his outward sign of commitment to God. Paul spoke of a woman’s hair showing forth glory (I Cor 11:5,6,15).
- Flock of Goats – majestic and stately in their walk
- The goats of Mount Gilead were abundantly fed, very fertile area. She has been fed on the Word and love of God
Song 4:2, “Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep which have come up from the washing, every one of which bears twins, and none is barren among them.”
- Teeth represent chewing; able to receive the ‘meat of the Word’, no longer needing baby nourishment
- Shorn Sheep are balanced, no longer in danger of falling due to thick coat of wool and not being able to get back up.
- Wool represents flesh, natural life. Priests were not to wear wool because it made them sweat.
- Washing – from the water of the Word of God (Eph 5:26)
- Twins represents a double portion
- He is saying that her ministry (to him) is fruitful and not barren
Song 4:3, “Your lips are like a strand of scarlet, and your mouth is lovely. Your temples behind your veil are like a piece of pomegranate.”
- Lips like scarlet – speech that is redemptive (scarlet symbolic of Blood). Her words ‘buy back’, ‘redeem’ – the words she speaks lift people up to the things of God to a state where they are ordained to be
- Mouth speaks of intimacy
- Veiled temples – cheeks, emotions, impacted by the grace of God. Veiled speaks of the ‘hidden life’ that no one else sees
- Watchman Nee comments, “Only lips that have passed through redemption, that are subject to the Lord’s authority, and that do not speak according to one’ own will have a ‘comely’ speech. The teeth are mentioned before the lips because if something wrong is taken in, whatever comes out will surely be wrong.”
Song 4:4, “Your neck is like the tower of David, built for an armory, on which hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.”
- Neck like David’s tower – this represents the will & choices.
- Her mind, will and emotions are set and strong, like David’s tower.
- A stiff-neck represents pride
- When an enemy was taken, a foot was put on the neck of the enemy show forced to submit.
- She willingly submitted to the things of God and her Beloved.
Song 4:5, “Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, which feed among the lilies.”
- Breasts – this is the power to feed and nurture others
- Faith and Love are the same size – you cannot have one without the other
- Fawns – young; the old woman will run dry, but she will continue to flow and feed others
- Lilies speak of purity and humility
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